The trauma and horror of child abuse plays itself out in the pages of this gripping, painful novel. Judith has learned to watch and listen carefully, trying to predict her mother's moods and do all she can to please her. She cares for her younger brother and the house as if she were an adult herself, but there are times, many times, when it seems she can do nothing right. That's when the beatings happen. Judith blames herself for not being good enough. The 11-year old has no way of realizing her mother lashes out for reasons that have nothing to do with her at all; she knows nothing about the cycle of family violence. Judith's sole respite and delight is in her growing friendship with Michael, an older classmate who does not know what is happening to Judith, but who responds to her gentle soul, perhaps because he was emotionally abused by his father in the past. There is respite from the intensity of Judith's experience in brief shifts of point-of-view, but these shifts also serve to illustrate the ways in which abuse is masked. Judith's teacher, friends and others sometimes notice her bruises, but she tells them she fell down, or was beaten up by a gang of boys. Neighbors who hear her screams close their ears. No one wants to consider such a difficult and disturbing reality. This enables Judith's lies to pass as truth over and over again as the tension builds and events seem to be heading toward an even more tragic conclusion in this courageous, disturbing novel. Co-Winner, 1996 CCBC Batchelder Award Discussion (Age 12 and older)